Forget the fact that the Boston Celtics lost to the Detroit Pistons, 121-113, on opening "day." Forget the fact that Boston blew a 22-point lead. And forget the fact that Jayson Tatum shot 6-for-23 from the field (0-for-7 from deep) and scored just 13 points.
For just this moment, let's focus on probably the biggest positive takeaway of the game: Paul George looked incredible against the Pistons. And by "incredible," I mean he looked like the younger version of himself (either the overall Indiana Pacers version or the Oklahoma City Thunder version that finished third in MVP voting in 2018-19; take your pick).
Paul George proved he can be a legitimate scoring threat in Boston
In the loss, George scored a game-high 38 points (the most during a debut in Celtics history) on 12-for-21 shooting (7-for-12 from deep), and he was a man possessed in the third quarter, scoring 14 points and shooting 5-for-5 from the field. The Fresno State alum also recorded five rebounds, five steals, and three assists (and three turnovers and five fouls).
George looked extremely comfortable in this game. He played incredibly well in every area (defensively, diving for loose balls, moving the ball around, catch-and-shooting, creating his own shot, and even getting to the paint). Combined with how impressive he looked in preseason (at least for the most part), fans should be excited to see what he can do in Boston, health permitting.
It also seems like the Celtics can rely on George to be a secondary creator behind Tatum. Fans shouldn't expect him to drop almost 40 points every night, but the California native can still put the ball in the hoop, and he's still someone opposing defenses need to game plan for. There's been a lot of talk about his elite catch-and-shoot ability, but George can still be dangerous with the ball in his hands and in iso situations.
Paul George is a great fit with the Celtics, at least in theory
On paper, there's a lot to like about George's fit in Boston. As he showed against Detroit, he can still score at a high level, he is a fantastic defender, he is great at moving the ball around, he plays selfless basketball, and he does all the little things that don't show up on the box score (boxing out, diving for loose balls, communicating when there's an open teammate).
It's no secret that health and age are legitimate concerns for George. He is 36 years old and has played in at least 55 games just twice since his MVP-caliber season in Oklahoma City (56 games in 2022-23 and 74 games in 2023-24, both with the Los Angeles Clippers). But he believes he has "turned the corner" regarding his health and injuries, and for now, I'm going to choose to believe him.
Even if he plays just 60 games for the Celtics this season, that can be a big game-changer. George is going to be very important to Boston's success this season (even as the No. 2 option, not a 1B), and the team is going to need him on the court as often as possible.
It's a very small sample size, but Celtics fans should be happy with what George has shown so far. He's buying into his role and Boston's system, and he's proving that the same player who is a nine-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection is still in there. There is still a ton of basketball left, but as it stands, George can be a great asset to the Celtics. He already made it clear why.
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